Once Stiles confirms Derek has a pulse, he ascertains that Derek went into shock causing the werewolf to pass out and quickly stuffs him into the car. The werewolf feels hot and clammy to the touch with a black goo substance seeping from the side of his lips. A string of reassurances falls out of Stiles' mouth hoping they would get through to the unconscious man and to calm himself down too.
"You're gonna be okay. Everything will be fine. Hold on. Please. Please, don't die Derek " He repeats the phrases so often that it doesn't stop until his throat was coarse and dry.
The drive is a frantic mess for Stiles, a continuous mix of side glances to see if Derek was still breathing and speeding through the streets as he headed to his destination. He needs help for Derek and he needs it fast. Because of the unique circumstances of Derek's situation the hospital was a no go. They will report the gunshot wounds to the police and Derek won't be able to explain his healing factor once the bullet is removed. As much as he hated to do this, there was only one destination he can go to that won't risk Derek's secret. It also means that it reveals Stiles', but it is a sacrifice he was willing to make to save the werewolf.
By the time Stiles is where he needs to be, Derek is soaked in blood and black goo, both of which never stopped spilling from the injured man since the incident.
Stiles slams more than knocks on the door of his buddy, Scott McCall, as he struggles to maintain his leverage on Derek and hold the contents Derek had mentioned before succumbing to his wounds. Derek is somewhat conscious, able to move his feet as Stiles dragged him from the car to the apartment building of his best friend. Stiles had thought the werewolf was doing better with Derek's motor functions returning but when the thief touched Derek to help out of the vehicle he could feel the normally heated werewolf's skin cool to the touch and disturbingly pale. After another hard pound, the door finally opens.
"Hey, Scott. How ya doin'? Good? That's great. Me? Not so much. I've got a bloodied werewolf with me that is really heavy and needs some bullets removed. And yes, I said werewolf. Now can you help me out, buddy? Fantastic. Derek, this is Scott. Scott, Derek. Super, everyone's all acquainted." Stiles speeds through his explanation for being there to a bleary eyed, half naked Scott McCall. Scott, so used to late night emergency patch ups from Stiles, side steps to allow entry and closes the door with no alarm or discord. Stiles settles Derek in the bathroom on the closed toilet seat after nearly causing a splash down when he didn't check to see if it was closed.
"I think I musta loss too much blood because I think I heard you tell some guy I've never met before that I'm a werewolf." Derek croaks out, weakly bringing an arm from his uninjured side to his face to wipe the dried black substance.
Stiles coughs out a shocked laugh, feeling overwhelming relief and shock that Derek was conscious enough to speak. "You did lose too much blood, my furry friend, and you are correct - I did tell my best friend that you are indeed a howling creature of the night. Ya know, I've never heard you howl...do you howl?" Stiles rambles. He rolls a hefty amount of toilet paper and helps Derek wipe the remnants of the inky fluid. Stiles wonders if the reason Derek was so completely out of it was to reserve his strength.
"Stick around for when the bullets get removed and you might." Derek squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the wolfsbane travelling in his system. "Is he coming back?"
Scott answers Derek's question by entering the bathroom fully clothed and equipped with a large medical bag. "So, werewolves, huh? I had a lot of guesses on why you needed to keep coming to me for help." He bends down after retrieving his scissors to remove Derek's stained upper garments for clear access to the wounds. "Fight club, rodeo clown, a secret agent, or like a customer service clerk or sumthin'."
"Um, why would you think that last one?" Stiles has to ask with his curiosity getting the better of him. Or just the need for some semblance of normalcy in the crisis at hand, a small distraction from Derek's dire condition. He could always count on Scott to be his rock even when he couldn't disclose his extracurricular activities to him.
"Well, you know how you get once that mouth gets started. You never had much self preservation when it came to antagonizing people. I can't imagine you being the grin and bear it type." Scott is meticulous with his careful inspection of Derek as he carries a conversation with Stiles. Two bullets holes are in the left side of Derek's shoulder and chest area, with no exit wounds. There are black veins spreading outwards from the wound, Scott figures an infection spreading. His breathing is fairly normal for his condition removing the need to worry about a collapsed lung. "Are you a werewolf too?"
"No...But, um. Y-you know that red hooded cat burglar in the news?" Stiles takes a deep breath. "Well, you do know him...me."
Scott only has time to blink owlishly at Stiles after the reveal, Derek interrupts with dark sludge being puked out into the sink beside him. All attention is refocused on the werewolf with soothing pats on the back and small words of reassurance...at least, from Scott.
"Oh God, what the hell is that? You're not dying, right? Don't die, dude. How am I gonna paid if you croak?"
Derek coughing out a wet laugh into the sink with any leftover sick. "Goddamn asshole."
"Yeah, that's Stiles for you. Okay, I think we need to hurry removing these bullets. Whatever this infection is, it looks like it's travelling to Derek's heart." Derek clenches his jaw, trying to steel himself while Scott disinfects his tools and the wound preparing for the extraction.
"Alright. First, analyze. Disinfect instruments and entry. Proceed the operation with caution and precision." Scott mutters as he reminds himself of the steps.
"Have you ever done anything like this before?" Derek questions.
"Sure, I've performed lots of times. Never on anyone alive though." Scott admits.
The werewolf fires a heated glare at Stiles, who brought him to an inexperienced...Derek didn't even know what Scott was in training for. A nurse? Doctor? EMT? Veterinarian? Or, hell, he could've taken a single course in medical school and dropped out for all the werewolf knows.
Stiles his crosses his arm defensively under the weight of Derek's stare. "Don't look at me like that. Scott is in the top 5 of his class. You're in good hands."
"I'd be in better hands with the number 1 student in his class." Derek mumbled.
"I know you're in pain, so I'll let that slide." Scott says, then makes an incision to the congealing area preventing a clear way to the bullet. Derek squirms when Scott begins to dig deep for the bullet. "I know this isn't easy, but I'm gonna need you to be still. I don't want to nick an artery."
"Try to focus on something else, Derek." Stiles advices, staring at Derek's tightly shut eyelids.
"Like what, those ugly duck shower curtains?" Derek says, twisting his face in pain. Unfortunately, Scott didn't have anything to relieve Derek's pain.
"If it helps, fine."
"It doesn't." Derek yells out a curse when he feels Scott trying to latch on the foreign object in his shoulder. Stiles entwines his warm fingers into Derek's cold hand hoping to help, the werewolf's eyes open flicking to his hand and to the pair of concerned eyes focused on him from the thief. "That's not working either."
"Sorry." Stiles says slightly dejected and starts to remove his hand.
"Didn't say it wasn't appreciated." Derek offers what he thinks is small smile but really it looks like he's staring into the sun.
A metal clattering in the porcelain sink grabs Stiles and Derek's attention away from each other. "One down…" Scott informs.
After the final bullet is gone, Derek instructs Scott how to use the kit Stiles brought from the car to dissolve the poisonous effects of the wolfsbane. Even with the threat of the poison spreading further in his body gone, his healing is a slow, gradual progress. Scott didn't want to leave the gashes open while Derek's body took it's time to recover but Derek insisted any stitching was unnecessary and there was no need to worry about a risk of infection. Seeing the lack of blood seeping from the wounds and color returning to Derek's ghostly face was the assurance Scott needed to leave the two alone with a change of clothes while he put away his medical equipment.
"You mind putting on a shirt." Derek quirks a brow at Stiles' request. "Sorry, you're not an unpleasant sight on normal conditions but with the bullet holes and blood...not my cup of tea, man."
"Excuse me, if my mortal wounds aren't up to your standards." Pulling on a clean shirt proves to be more difficult than Derek thought it would be.
Stiles squats away Derek's stiff moving arms and takes the role of dressing the man. There was a calming wave that washed over Stiles as his fingers brushed along the length of Derek's arm to the nape of his neck. He could feel the familiar sensation of Derek's warm temperature from their time on the dance floor. It was the confirmation he didn't realize he needed to comfortably believe Derek was off of death's door.
"Hey, uh. Sorry I babbled your secret but I figured he would notice how fast you healed when the bullet came out. Plus, the black pus stuff didn't help. Derek?"
Derek focuses on the open bathroom door, peering at the empty living room. "Do you have a cat?"
"Hmm? Oh yeah, Scott has one that comes and goes. Her name's Selina. You don't have a problem with cats, do you?"
"Not exactly."
"Is it a werewolf thing?"
"No, more of a...me thing. I don't why but cats love me." The proof of Derek's claim is quickly validated with the sudden appearance of a black cat purring happily and circling along Derek's leg. "Stiles, do you mind giving me a phone? I didn't bring mine to the party."
Stiles returns to the bathroom with a smartphone borrowed from Scott since he left his behind as well because of security. Stiles stares at the scene in amusement, thinking nothing else would have surprised him tonight. He was just happy that this particular surprise was nothing more than a cat cuddling up in the lap of a big, anything-but-bad werewolf.
The attention Derek gives the phone in hand allows Stiles the opportunity to view his own clothing at the mirror before changing. He was focused on the state of Derek that his own blood stained clothes came as a mild surprise.
"I just texted someone to pick me up, shouldn't be too long. And the money is all yours. " Tasks that were made harder to do than it should've been with a cat obsessed with pawing at Derek's beard. It was a shame his alpha eyes didn't work on subduing feline creatures.
"Hope you didn't forget to include to pay for the wall you busted. And the clothes you bled on." Waving a hand to his discarded clothing laying on the floor.
"That wall had it coming."
"Wow, Derek, you really gonna blame the victim?"
"And your bowtie was stupid."
"Bowties are cool, dude."
How was it they were making dumb jokes and playing with a cat after everything the two had been through in a relatively short amount of time? The companionable silence takes an awkward turn once Stiles realizes now that their business is over he may never see the werewolf again.
Weirdly, it was the moment when Selina was elated from being in the mere presence of Derek to put the pieces together of what Stiles had slowing been learning about the werewolf. He didn't know why it took a cat nuzzling up to Derek to realize the man was so far out of his league. Stiles might as well be a mermaid gazing at the handsome sea faring prince, wishing to be part of his world. Derek's duty protect others, the kindness he's shown to Stiles, the way everyone gushed over him at the gala. Hell, even being able to quote a Disney movie went into the plus column for Stiles.
Stiles wondered with his criminal life behind him, could he be with someone like Derek? Or would someone like Derek even want to be with a former thief?
"So, does that mean we go our separate ways?" Stiles asks, needing an answer to the debate going on in his mind.
"Is that what you want?" It's hard to gauge how Derek feels about ever seeing Stiles again with the werewolf Derek looking down and stroking Selina to soothe her into a ball nestled snuggly in his lap. It was done mostly to keep the kitty away from his facial hair that surely had bits of animal hair. The non-werewolf kind of animal hair.
"Well, you did take a bullet - two bullets, for me. I have to treat you to a round of drinks." The thief felt a need to make an excuse to see Derek, bracing himself for a possible rejection.
"Don't feel obligated to pay me back somehow, Stiles."
"Trust me, obligation is nowhere in sight where you are involved." Stiles winks. "And, you know, I want to make sure you're fine. I mean, do you have someone to check up on you - make sure you're okay?"
"My uncle is in Europe tracking down hunters, relocating werewolves. It's only me."
"I can come by tomorrow, or later today - I didn't realize how late it is…" A quick glance at the wall clock shows it's well past midnight. "If you're okay with that."
"Sure, Stiles."
"Cool, then it's a deal - you and me tomorrow, er, later today."
The sound of a car horn signals the arrival of Derek's ride and ends his time in Scott McCall's home.
After thanking Scott for his help and sitting the now sleeping cat on the couch, Derek walks to the front door with Stiles on his trail and stops at the threshold turning back to the thief. "I have to admit I'm kind of disappointed."
Stiles bites his bottom lip as he tries to figure out what Derek means.
"What I mean is, well, I thought you sealed every deal with a kiss."
Stiles cups the side of Derek's face and bestows a peck on the bearded face. "Hope that was good enough. No offense but you did vomit some pretty rank stuff before."
"Right, next time then." Derek exits into hallway, instilling hope in Stiles for the future.
"One last thing before you go, Derek?" Stiles calls out halting the man from leaving. "Do you know what those treats at the party were called?"
"Good night, Stiles."
"Good morning, Derek."
Stiles closes the door and turns to see Scott leaning on a wall grinning goofily. "You two looked cute together."
"You saw that little kiss?"
He waves his phone in front of Stiles. Showing a picture Derek and Stiles, looking cozy and relaxed in each other's arms, taken by the photographer at the party. "I've got you on Google alert."
Stiles groans to the ceiling. Apparently, his antics with the photographer hadn't persuaded him to keep Stiles' name anonymous. "Oh no...do you think my dad is tracking my name too?"
"I dunno, but don't even think about leaving here before you clean up my bathroom. G'night and good luck, there's bleach under the sink." Scott exits the living room to try and catch some sleep before his busy schedule in a few hours.
"Good morning," Stiles sullenly mumbles. "You wanna help?" Stiles looks at Selina who stares at him. She decides it's best to leave Stiles with that responsibility and climbs out the window onto the fire escape. "Pfft. Typical - always stepping out instead of chipping in." Stiles comments before grabbing a mop, bucket, and sponge to begin his custodial duty.
Stiles begins feeling the day's events starting to take effect as he trudges through the front door of his apartment. Despite his exhaustion, the thief can sense something wrong with his living space. With an inspectful eye he lands his gaze on a powered up tablet sitting on his coffee table. As soon as he searches the rest of the apartment for any unwelcomed guests, he sits in front of the tablet. The screen is prompted with a message to connect to an awaiting user.
A woman reading papers dressed in a sharp business outfit sitting at a desk pops up with a press of the screen. "Ah, I was wondering when you would make it home. It seems I need your service once again, Mr Fox. And I was told with the right incentive you would be more than willing to assist."
"Sorry lady, but you've been misled. I'm officially retired as of today and even if I wasn't...you and I would definitely not be doing business."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that before you see my offer."
"I'm not buying what you're…" The woman's face was replaced by an image appearing on the screen. Stiles trains his face to reveal no hint of emotion or response but the quiet washing over the conversation spoke in volumes.
"Should I take your sudden silence as a sign of consideration?" The woman reappeared grinning in delight from the reponse her reveal garnered.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to take on one last client. What do you need?"
"We're about to make a beautiful partnership, Mr Fox."
A/N: An open ending with a promise for more. Next in series will be "Honor Among Thieves". I have good portion written so it will happen...maybe not lightning fast though. I'd like to work on some other fics, this one took up most of my attention for awhile.
I hope you're looking forward to the next entry. Thank you for reading!